T Minus 10
by Broth3r
Summary: Timeline 4. Madoka has fallen to the darkness, and Homura carried on her endless fight. And in their wake, seven billion souls, humans and Puellae alike, were left behind to struggle for survival against impending extinction at the hands of the most powerful witch the universe has ever witnessed. This is their story.
1. Day 10

**Mitakihara, Japan**

**May 1****st ****- 08:04 **

The sun was finally rising in Mitakihara, delayed by the violent storm that shook the city's foundations just moments before. The clouds were now gone, and the beautiful morning sun was allowed to cast its light upon the ruined city, rising above the ravaged skyline, reflecting on the large puddles of water, remnants of the storm, that provided a near perfect reflection of the city-turned-battlefield.

But for all its might, its light could not shine through the pillar of darkness that now rose from the city's very core.

"I thought she'd become the strongest Puella Magi, but I never would have imagined she'd destroy Walpurgis Night in one hit."

The white creature stood at the edge of a large steel slab, debris from the earlier battle. Who would have thought the monster that caused so much destruction could have been felled so easily? Madoka's power was beyond belief, even imagination, and thus Kyubey was as satisfied as an emotionless creature could be, contemplating the result of its latest contract.

"You did that knowing what could happen?"

The girl stood on the other edge of the debris, on her knees. She hadn't moved since she'd woken up, having been knocked out in battle. Her clothes were torn, her were weapons were down, and her very soul was in no better shape. To say the fallen warrior was disheartened would be underwhelming: her voice was completely soulless.

"Sooner or later, the same thing would have happened, either way." Kyubey simply answered, never taking its eyes off what Madoka had become. "As the strongest Puella Magi, she defeated her greatest enemy. Now, there's nothing left for her but to become the most evil witch ever."

"Madoka, in this form, will probably destroy the planet within ten days or so."

Ten mere days. Earth's sentence was delivered. Eons and eons of evolution and discovery, undone in what was less than a grain of sand in grand hourglass of time. Even for the Incubators, the magnitude of such event was a heavy burden. But given the worthwhile reward, it was nothing they couldn't accept.

"But well, the rest is your problem – humanity's problem. I gathered a lot more energy than our collection quota."

Humanity's problem, maybe. But not _her_ problem. Shaking the crippling emotional shock off her heart, Homura stood up, spun in place, and unceremoniously started to walk away.

"Aren't you going to fight?"

"No, this is not my battlefield."

"Homura Akemi, are you-"

And in the blink of an eye and a turn of a shield, she disappeared into thin air, leaving nothing but shards of light in her wake.

"You are."

_So, your wish granted you time-travelling abilities… that is formidable, but irrelevant. I suppose you will attempt to change Madoka's destiny, just as you have likely tried before. But that is out of our hands. As of now, this planet is doomed. I would have rather kept it, but it cannot be helped._

The white cat closed its eyes and focused its mind for a moment; it had been a while since any Incubator had used that function. But the time had come.

"_This is a message to all Incubators stationed on planet Earth. A moment of your attention, please."_

Kyubey waited half a minute before continuing. The Global Communication Functionality had been silent since the Cuban Missile Crisis, and though they were expedient creatures, no doubt no Incubator would be expecting it to be activated in peacetime. Once he was sure he was being listened to, he continued, projecting his mental voice through the Earth's atmosphere.

"_This is 9B, supervisor of the Mitakihara Operational Area. Given extraordinary circumstances in my area of operations, and with the powers invested in me as such, I am activating Security Protocol 115. I am therefore ordering a general evacuation of the planet Earth, effective immediately. Debriefing will be provided when possible. That is all."_

And leaving no margin for contention, the creature closed the telepathic link, certainly leaving more than a few of its comrades intrigued. But that was of no matter.

_Farewell, Earth._

And the next instant, the Incubator departed from the planet it'd inhabited since forgotten times, leaving it to its fate.

* * *

**Mitakihara Institute of Technology sports arena – Designated Emergency Shelter #1**

**9:36**

"Madoka…"

Junko Kaname leaned on rail outside the arena, facing the western side of the building; a glass curtain wall spanned the entire length of that side. Though it seemed inappropriate for a typhoon shelter, it had weathered the storm undamaged, and provided a clear view of the devastation outside. Junko had come there for a breather, and never left again. Having been dragged to the shelter against her will, and with her daughter missing in the midst of the most ferocious storm she'd ever witnessed, she just couldn't stand still. And so she stared as the supercell ravaged the city, shaking the lively trees outside wildly before plucking them one by one, shattering the windows of weaker-built buildings, and sending cars and billboards flying down the streets. But it didn't stop there. Junko had seen typhoons before, but this… this was beyond anything she ever imagined. The storm seemed to be in an unstoppable crescendo, the devilish gales and torrential rain driving buildings to the ground, even entire city blocks. Not even the once proud skyscrapers of the financial district resisted, collapsing effortlessly to the apocalyptical storm. Even the improvised shelter threatened to give in, the roof howling metallic creaks.

That was worrying enough. But having to witness it all knowing that her own daughter was somewhere outside, somewhere in all that violence and rage, her fragile life unguarded against such danger, shook her to the core.

And suddenly… it stopped. As if God had pressed a cosmic silence button, the winds fell silent, and the clouds fade away, leaving an almost eerie quietude. Shouts of victory, cries of happiness and praises to various gods poured out from the arena, a moment of jubilation in which even Junko partook, throwing her fists up.

But her celebration was hollow. The city was razed, and thousands had died: that would certainly be enough reason to restrain any rejoicing. But what truly drove her smile away was the shocking sight of a new feature among the ruins: a mountain of pure darkness, reaching into the clouds, had appeared where the city's center once stood. She was clueless to its nature, but she could _feel _it. Junko had a cold shiver, and wrapped her arms around herself. That _thing_, whatever it was, was evil. She was headstrong, but just the mere sight of it gave her the slightest hint of terror; and, somehow, that terror felt extremely familiar to her. God knows what it could do to the weaker-willed.

More people had gathered at the spot, since then. And those who arrived did not leave, observing the feature with a mix of awe and fear. It was _growing_. Slowly, its base was spreading in all directions; it covered the financial district, and bit by bit it came to dominate the horizon. It wouldn't be long before the shelter area was hit.

"Have they found Madoka yet?"

"No." Tomohisa replied. Junko didn't even need to turn to sense his arrival. He leaned on the rail next to Junko, trying but failing to find words. If Madoka wasn't there yet, then… _Fuck._ The only way he was able to express his feelings was by punching the rail.

"Grab Tatsuya. We need to get out of here."

Instead, it was Junko that spoke, turning away from the rail for the first time since she arrived.

"W-What do you mean?" He replied, surprised.

"That thing is coming down on us and it's coming down hard. If we stay here, we'll just be fodder for it."

"What about Madoka? We can't-"

"Don't you think I know that?" Junko blasted. Her voice trembled, as if she was about to burst into tears over the pain of such a decision. But she wouldn't allow herself to do that. Not there. "But if we stay here, we're all going to die! We gotta at least get Tatsuya out of here!"

Tomohisa had no comeback for that, and, though hesitant, followed his wife inside silently. Several bystanders, hearing the conversation, came to their senses and realized the true magnitude of the situation, and decided to follow the couple. Junko headed straight towards the senior police officer on station, the small crowd following her, while Tomohisa diverged to the center of the playing field to grab his son, whom he'd left in the care of Hitomi, who hadn't dare leaving the mattress assigned to the Kaname family. Tomohisa had found her after Junko went outside, shivering in a corner and looking absolutely miserable, and took her back to their lot. Her family was missing, although with the devastation outside… that was probably saying little.

"Papa!"

"Thanks for taking care of him, Hitomi." The father said, with a smile, as he hugged his son. Hitomi simply nodded. Playing with little Tatsuya had cheered her up somewhat, but she looked deeply depressed regardless. Tomohisa noticed she had her cell phone in her right hand, having tried but again failed to contact Kyousuke.

"Madoka…" She finally said. "Has there been any news about Madoka?"

Tomohisa shook his head.

"Hitomi, I need you to get your things. We're gonna have to leave."

"Leaving? But isn't the state of emergency still up?"

"Right now, we have a bigger one coming our way…"

On the other side of the arena, Junko approached her target. "Officer, have you seen what's happening outside?" She asked, without constraints.

"Yes." He answered sheepishly, feeling slightly threatened by the numbers that followed Junko.

"Then you'd agree it's time to evacuate. Whatever that thing is, it's heading straight for us."

"Look, lady," He said, with slight contempt. "Something like that has to be authorized by the JSDF. I can't just-"

"When was the last time you heard of them?"

"I, uh…"

"Exactly. They're all buried under that thing."

Sweat ran down the officer's prominent forehead.

"Lady, we can't be sure-"

"Dammit, we don't have time for this!" Junko nearly snapped, but just enough to scare the uncertain officer. "We need to get out of here NOW! And if you're not coming, then give us the keys to the trucks. We'll manage on our own."

"Are you threatening me?"

"If we don't leave now, it won't matter anymore. You decide if that's a threat or not."

Junko's determined eyes were emulated by the people surrounding her. The officer was left with no choice, and picked up his radio.

"Ishida to all officers. We're evacuating the premises."

There were surprised inquiries from the other side of the radio, but the officers followed suit and converged on the playing field. One of them grabbed a megaphone and announced the evacuation of the surprised crowd, while the others gathered them into groups, following Junko and Officer Ishida's lead. Within two minutes, the first truck loaded with refugees left the arena's underground parking lot, with a single destination: the highway out of town.

Junko stayed behind, helping the elderly and disabled onto the trucks, and before long more than a hundred people had been evacuated. The next truck would carry the Kaname family.

"Junko…"

Tomohisa stopped in front of his wife. Both knew what boarding that truck meant: to give up on Madoka, their beloved daughter. Any parent would prefer death to that decision. But they couldn't afford that luxury: they had another son to protect. And so, reluctantly, and holding back his tears, Tomohisa hopped on the back of the truck, carrying Tatsuya hugged to him.

"Here you go, Hitomi." Junko said, as she helped Hitomi up. She thanked politely, but in an almost mechanical way.

Tomohisa extended his hand to Junko.

"Come on, it's your turn."

But she didn't take his hand.

"Junko, what are you doing? Get in the truck."

"I can't go." She said, unmovable.

"W-What do you mean?"

"You go. Take Tatsuya and Hitomi out of this hell. I'm going after Madoka."

"…"

Tomohisa really wasn't good with words, not with Junko at least. He wanted to shout, he wanted to yell at her to run away with him, or that he'd stay behind instead… but she'd never accept it. This had been her idea all along: to get her family out of there, and go after Madoka herself. And as much as it cost him… he couldn't deny her this.

"Junko… promise me I'll see you again." Tomohisa couldn't hold it any longer, and let a few tears run down his face.

The woman clenched her fists tight. "I… I promise."

She turned away from them and, after a momentary hesitation started to walk away, but a cry called her back.

"Mama!"

Junko froze in place, her shoulders trembling. She wiped her eyes with her sleeve, and turned to face her son with a large, bright smile.

"Mama has to go find Madoka. Pray for us, okay Tatsuya?"

"Uh-uh!" The youngling replied, shaking his head in agreement, while bringing his right hand to his chest.

"Now that's my little knight!"

An officer helped the last citizen up, and pounded the side of the truck twice, signaling it was good to go. It started to pull away, leaving Junko behind: Tomohisa had to grip Hitomi's hand tight to contain himself. As soon as the truck turned out of sight, and taking advantage of the confusion, the woman snuck past the remaining officers, and left the parking lot through a side door.

Only then did she truly saw what miserable state Mitakihara was in. When she saw earthquakes, fires, tsunamis on the other side of the world, the cities, however badly damaged, were still recognizable. Mitakihara was not. The arena was practically the only building still standing: everything else had been razed to the ground, blown away by the wind and washed away by the rain. That was what she could see, at least: the town's center was buried under the black mountain. The warm, quiet morning that blessed the city was almost a mockery of the events.

"Now…"

Junko paused for a second to contemplate the landscape, and think about the task ahead. And, for whatever reason, she couldn't keep a nervous laugh from escaping her.

"Just where did my daughter run off to?"

* * *

**Kasamino, Japan **

**14:28**

_This isn't right. _She didn't share her thoughts, but she could shake an unbearable feeling of uncertainty._ This can't be just-_

"Yukio?"

"Uh?"

"You look a bit off-color. Are you alright?"

"Uh, yeah." She replied, as she nudged her forehead, partly to avoid eye contact. "Sorry Hanabi, I just spaced out. Mai, how far are we?"

The driver checked the GPS. "Ten kilometers. The tunnel ends up right ahead, and we'll be on Kasamino. From there it's a straight run to Mitakihara."

"Alright, step on it. We have no time to waste."

To a point, she was sure of it. Neither she nor any Puellae in Yokohama should have been able to sense a witch from that far off, no matter how powerful. What's more, Mitakihara was known to possess some of the strongest Puellae in all of Japan, even though it was just a mid-sized territory; whatever it was, it should have been dealt with hastily. But it wasn't. And she knew she couldn't afford to wait not longer. If a witch was strong enough to cause that signal, it had to be brought down without delay, even if that meant breaking into the most dangerous territory under the Emperor's shadow and do it herself.

The turf wars would have to wait.

Her three juniors were certainly worried about such a hasty mission, but they viewed it as nothing more than a special witch hunt. They talked about their favorite idols, about how every single driver that passed by seemed reckless, about the dark clouds on the other side of the mountain, about how Mai finally got a rightful use her forged driver's license. Anything but the mission. They were focused, but not the least preoccupied.

Or maybe it was her that was exaggerating. Maybe it was just a stronger than usual witch that managed to reach their soul gems, and the Mitakihara girls were being either lax or overcautious. Worrying too much had always been a flaw of hers. And for once, she just wished she'd be wrong. She cleaned her thin-frame glasses and gripped the end of her long ponytail, the silky black hairs flowing between her fingers. Both were habits of hers when difficult situations arised. But this time, they failed to give her peace.

As they approached the end of the tunnel, she heard a noise in the distance. It was barely discernible, but it was one any experienced Puella would recognize.

"Do you hear that?"

"Yeah." Mai answered, cutting their conversation short. "Screams."

They made a final dash, and their SUV nearly flew out of the tunnel and into Kasamino's main avenue. They quickly identified the source of the screams. Hundreds of people flooded the streets, running in the opposite direction as if their lives depended on it, a faceless mob seeking salvation from the cloud of death that loomed above.

It wasn't clouds that they saw on the other side of the mountain. Their hearts froze: a massive pillar of darkness rose into the sky, the peak far beyond their sight; and at its base, a pitch-black pyroclastic wave, at least a fifty meters tall, towered over Kasamino. It was a scene more fitting to an apocalyptic film than anything else: it shadowed the land, threatening to swallow the city whole. The mere sight of it shook them to the core.

Miraculously, Mai managed to avoid both the stampeding civilians and incoming cars, and brought their SUV to a halt millimeters away from crashing into a bridal shop. They immediately jumped out and transformed out of instinct, but had no clue what do next.

"What the fuck is that?" Mai finally asked, almost losing her nerve. "Yukio, _what the fuck is that?_"

She knew what it was. She could _feel _what it was, and she was sure the others could too. Her soul gem wasn't simply sensing it, it was burning with painful pulses that sent shivers down her spine. But getting the words out of her mouth proved more difficult than she'd ever imagined. Her worst fears had been confirmed.

"T-The witch." She replied, her voice trembling. "That's the witch we're after, Mai."

"No way. No goddamn way…"

"My god…" Hanabi uttered. "It'… monstrous! And it's-"

"It's in this world!" Mai completed, dramatically extending her right arm towards it. "It's not even in a barrier, it's right fucking there!"

"I've heard… legends. Legends of witches whose power defies imagination. And…" Yukio swallowed dry. "They weren't bound by barriers."

"B-But wait!" The last girl, a runt compared to the others, clearly much younger than the rest of them, stepped forward and asked. She shook her head and made a stand, denying her companions' despair. "Why is it here? Wasn't it in Mitakihara?"

"It's not just "here", Hotogi." Yukio answered, as she adjusted her glasses, never diverting her sight from the monster that stood in their path. A single sweat drop ran down her forehead as she did so. "It's expanding."

"Expanding? You don't mean-"

"Yes. Everything from here to Mitakihara has likely been consumed."

Yukio struggled to keep her cool against the maelstrom of emotions inside her. Her calm and clever, yet kind and warmhearted persona was often a source of strength for those around her; and at that moment, the only thing the other girls could rely on. And she knew well that, without her, they wouldn't be able keep it together in face of a demoniacal wave that rose above the earth they stood in, ever approaching, threatening to annihilate everything in their sight.

She was barely able to do it herself.

"Yukio, what do we do?"

She closed her eyes for a second, and analyzed the situation. Their group was strong and well trained, save for Hotogi – but she had to make due in such an emergency -, and normally would be able to take on any threat. But this was no par for the course: their foe was much more terrifying than what she could ever dream of. They were in no position to fight. But they could not retreat either; if they faltered there, if the allowed the witch to proceed unchecked, the consequences would be unthinkable.

They couldn't fight. They couldn't run.

…

"…Yukio?"

…

Nothing.

She had absolutely nothing.

"I…"

"Yukio, do we attack or do we get the fuck out?"

"Are you alright, Yukio?"

At the most critical of times, she froze. The sight of the mountain of darkness, towering over a once beautiful landscape… it destroyed her soul, and yet she could not look away. She'd been afraid before, terrified even, but this was beyond words. It rendered her unable to break the puzzle, unable to make a decision, unable to issue an order that could end or save her subordinate's lives. Her strength, her intelligence, her charisma mattered not.

She faltered like never before.

"We… have to stop it."

In her absence, Mai stepped forward. Yukio was brought back to Earth by her's sudden statement, unaware to how long she'd spent in her daze.

"HOW DO WE EVEN STOP _THAT?_" Hanabi blasted, shocking the group. A polite and well-taught girl, she _never_ shouted, yet she was went from calm to nearly hysterical in a sentence's time in a way they'd never seen before.

"I don't care." Mai said, her breathing heavy, her eyes determined. "But I ain't gonna sit here."

The girl summoned her weapon, a very distinctive thin and sharp two meter long katana, and held it in her right arm with the blade facing backwards, ready to charge at the beast.

"Mai, wait!"

But Yukio's plea was already too late. The rash Puella had departed, rushing towards the mother of all witches without second thought. Reluctantly, but out of options, her companions followed after, forcing their feet to move against their will, fear placing its stranglehold in their hearts as the darkness blocked out the sun. The last of the civilians ran past them, not even considering for a second why four teenage girls clad in dresses were charging in the opposite direction, hopelessly seeking a refuge they had no chance of reaching, their doom looming just a block away.

But Mai refused to let their efforts go to waste. She spat out her fear, a large, nervous grin in her face. With confidence, she leapt towards the approaching darkness, and slashed the air in front of her, creating a vertical shockwave that tore straight thought the approaching wave as if it were smoke, opening a gaping hole in it. The warrior smiled at her success, and gripped the katana with both hands, ready to hack whatever lied behind the wave.

"Die, you son of a-"

**"MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAI!"**

The scream had come from Hanabi, a howl so chilling it shook Yukio and the little Hotogi as much as what they'd just seen. Just as Mai flew through the gap she opened, the cloud of darkness came violently crashing back down on her, crushing the Puellae effortlessly. A fleeting, almost imperceptible scream was the only memento she left before her body was consumed.

Hanabi couldn't cope. Her mind went blank. She sprang up and ran forward wildly, shouting her friend's name in a maniacal fashion, not even bothering to summon her weapon, completely oblivious to the death that loomed ahead. Or perhaps, she simply didn't care anymore.

"Hanabi!"

It was almost unbearable, but Yukio forced herself to turn her gaze away from Hanabi and the beast, and turned to Hotogi, accepting that there was only one thing she could and had to do.

"B-but Hanabi promised me she'd-"

"Hotogi." She said, as she kneeled in front of her. As she did so, she summoned her weapon: a magnificent crimson broadsword, longer than her legs, with a rapier-shaped hilt, the crossguard resembling a pair of angelic wings. "I need you to listen to me now, okay?"

The youngling had seen more than a kid should ever be allowed to bear. Her eyes were off-focus. However, Yukio's call managed to gather her attention.

"Turn around, and run away as fast as you can. Focus your magic on your feet like I taught you. Don't stop, and don't look behind."

"But…-"

"I'll be fine." She replied, faking a smile. "Now go, fast. I'll deal with this."

Yukio focused her power on the blade, waving her free hand over it. Her magic lit up elaborate runic patterns on the blade in a brighter shade of red, and the entire sword became ablaze with holy fire, illuminating everything around it. But even that light was no match for the darkness that approached, turning the day into night.

"O-Okay."

Even having just lost her two most prized apprentices – and friends - Yukio felt some relief in hearing Hotogi's quick footsteps. She took a deep breath, and aimed her weapon at the monstrous witch, ready to embrace death now that she'd been able to at least save someone.

But even that hope was crushed when she felt a large blunt hit across her back.

"I'm sorry."

Yukio was instantly paralyzed, falling to the ground like a brick, unarmed but utterly shocked. Hotogi stood before her, wielding her exaggerated rubber hammer which she'd just used to slam her to the ground, with a sad, but somehow hopeful look in her eyes.

She desperately tried to speak, to make sense of the situation, but she could not even move her lips.

"_Hotogi! What are you doing?"_

"I am only ten, but I know what Yukio was going to do." The youngling replied. "I can't let that happen."

"_But-"_

"I don't understand what this thing is, but I know it's bad. And I'm weak. I can't do anything about it. And Yukio is strong and smart. There's nothing in the world she can't fix, no matter what."

"_I… I can't…"_

And again, the black haired girl had no reply, nothing she could say despite wanting to scream against what was happening. Without another word, the youngling placed her left palm on Yukio, enveloping her in a purple glow. She took a step back and gave her hammer a big backswing.

"Yukio will land about just outside Yokohama. Don't worry, my magic will protect you."

"_Ho… to… gi…"_

"It's okay. I know Yukio will find a way. And thank you. For everything."

Hotogi donned a pure, unspoiled smile. The next instant, Yukio was flung away at an insane speed, blazing through the skies, moving farther and farther away from Kasamino. Even the monstrous witch started to fade below the horizon. But not before witnessing the wave that preceded it crashing down on her youngest apprentice.

_**"**__**HOTOGI!"**_

* * *

_**Kantei**_** - The Prime Minister's Official Residence**

**Chidoya, Tokyo, Japan **

**18:43**

"Prime Minister, I have an updated situation report."

A young aide, probably hadn't yet reached his thirties, entered the spartan office. Usually, the task of dealing with the Prime Minister would be left to a more senior aide; however, on a Sunday and a May 1st, the junior happened to be the only one on duty, giving him a chance to shine.

How cruel that it was on one of the darkest days humanity had ever lived.

"Go ahead." The Prime Minister replied, never looking at the aide; he faced the large window that usually stood behind him, the chair covering all but the top of his head.

The aide flipped a few pages on his clipboard until he found the information he was looking for.

"As of five minutes ago, our measurements placed the affected area at thirty kilometers wide. It's growing steadily, and if it keeps up this rate, we have thirty-six hours before it hits a major city… which would Tokyo, sir. However, some of our experts think the growth might be exponential. If they're right, we may have much less than that."

"Do they even have any idea of what this thing _is_?"

"None, sir. Everyone is absolutely baffled, no one's ever seen anything like this. But all we have to go with is video footage and satellite imagery. We sent parties to observe on scene and collect samples, but... we lost contact with all of them."

"I see... and the media?"

"The major Japanese outlets are keeping the agreement not to run the news until it is leaked somewhere else. But…"

"It's only a question of time. It's unavoidable. It's already a miracle we've made it this far." The Prime Minister conceded. He seemed distant, his mind miles away, past the horizon he gazed at. It was a stark contrast with his assistant, who, despite his age and inexperience, was tackling the situation aptly.

"Sir, allow me to ask, have there been any news on-"

"No." He immediately replied. "I've been unable to contact my wife's convoy. She didn't make it out of Mitakihara, I've accepted that."

He quickly regretted his question. "Even I am starting to believe this thing is the Devil..."

"What is your name, son?"

"Goh Mitsugi, sir."

"Okay. Goh, do you know Hidekatsu, my former chief assistant?"

"Yes sir, he was my senpai. He taught me a lot on public service. I doubt I'd be here today had it not been for him."

"Good. I need you to call him here immediately. Tell him he has the most important of tasks. He'll understand."

"Yes, sir." The aide replied, scribbling a reminder in his clipboard.

"Also, contact the Speaker of the Representatives, and tell him to come to my office as soon as possible. Additionally, I do not wish to be disturbed until Hidekatsu's arrival. Warn me through the phone when he arrives. That is all."

The aide nodded, again writing a memo, and turned to leave the room, stopping for an instant at the door.

"Sir, allow me to say, no matter how this ends, it's been an honor to work for you."

"Likewise, my friend."

As soon as the door closed, the Prime Minister stood up and walked over to the other side of the office, retrieving a large pine box from beneath a bookshelf. That box had been sealed for more than fifty years, accompanying every Prime Minister throughout their term. But the seal was broken that day. Carefully, he opened it, and retrieved the contents. First, a large piece of finely crafted cloth, which he unfolded and placed over the floor. He knelt on top of it. Then he took a small platform, paper and an elaborate pen from the box, and started to write, his last words flowing from his mind with the ink.

A tantō and a large katana were left in the box, for when the time came.

* * *

**Karolinska Institutet**

**Stockholm, Sweden **

**20:37**

"I thought I told you, Solna is in my goddamn area."

"And I told you, Annika, if you want to draw territories so badly, be competent. This witch was here for a good half hour before I got here."

The standoff at the gates of the university wasn't a particularly hostile one, and one neither of the Puellae was too interested in being part of, but there was most certainly some tension in the cold Stockholm night, blessed by out-of-season snow.

One of them, a rather tall blonde with curly hair trimmed at her shoulders, extended her hand at the other, offering her the grief seed she'd just collected.

"Humph. This isn't about the grief seed."

"Neither it is for me. But this is the territory you claim as yours. I got what I wanted, which was to kill that thing. It's the least I can do."

Annika couldn't help but to sigh. She reluctantly accepted the offer, and put the grief seed away, taking a good look at the blonde. She had to resist an urge to roll her eyes.

"You're never going to change, are you?"

"I wouldn't count on it."

"Yeah, no wonder you can't get along with anyone. Anyway, I don't forget that you helped me out before, so I'll let it slide again. But there's a limit to my patience."

"I'll do what I can." The blonde said. "But if this keeps happening, you're gonna see me often."

"Well, then, balls." Her counterpart replied as she shrugged her shoulders, already walking away. "Not like I can be everywhere."

"That's what's required of us."

"Too damn bad. Take care, Victoria."

Seeing Annika turning around the corner and disappearing behind a brick wall, the blonde stretched her arms, and sighed in a very similar manner. She knew she wouldn't understand: Puellae with a sense of duty were few and far between. But she had to get her point across. She needed Annika and the others to be competent, because she wouldn't always be there for them.

The bus didn't take long, and she was soon home. The large wooden door creaked loudly as she opened it, but almost not at all as she closed it behind her.

"Hey."

Victoria sighed again. No one at home, as usual. She had guessed she was alone because the lights were off, but she still greeted the empty house. Even her low and unenthusiastic voice gave it away. She shrugged it off, and proceeded to her room. Her feet came to a halt in the middle of the hallway: a hastily-written note laid on a small table.

_Hey Vicky_

_Sorry we had to leave so fast, but there was a breakthrough in the negotiations. The Hungarians might just be willing to buy a full squadron. We have to make sure they do before they change their minds._

_There's pizza on the fridge for today. We probably won't be back until the 6__th__, so we left the freezer full for you. We expect one of your famous meals when we're back ;)_

_Love, Mom and Dad_

As she put down the note, she couldn't help but to take a look at the photo on the wall in front of her. A JAS-39 Gripen, Sweden's own fighter jet, designed by her mother, flown by her father, and the reason they were both often away; they were part of a team negotiating export deals with other countries. She herself flew abroad with them often, but with an agenda of her own.

_Hungary, uh… No worries, I got Szasza there._

She turned away and got a change of clothes from her room. Too tired to even consider cooking, she threw the pizza in the microwave, and let herself sink in the living room's leather couch while it heated, exhausted. She considered just letting herself be, but eventually turned on the TV. Her interest was immediately sparked: the TV had been left on CNN and she caught it right in the middle of the breaking news intro. She sat upright in expectation.

But what she saw was beyond anything she could have predicted.

"This is…"

The girl was utterly shocked at what she'd just witnessed. As soon as the report ended, she rushed to her laptop and called one of her Skype contacts. It took her a couple tries, but she finally got through.

"Alice?"

"...Victoria?" A cheery voice replied "Hey, how's it going? It's been a while."

"We can catch up later." The Swede replied, ignoring her American friend's antics. "Did you see your mom just now?"

"My mo- oh, come on, do you think I watch every time she's on? It's probably on the VCR, but-"

"Then watch it, now. This is serious."

* * *

**Meanwhile-**

**CNN studios, Time Warner Center**

**New York City, U.S.A.**

"Alright, so what do we have?"

The woman used the walk to ready herself, buttoning up her black blazer, and giving her long, hazel hair a quick brush. That all the spoiling she'd get that day. But even then, she managed to look both professional and beautiful. Being rushed to the studio like that wasn't pleasant, but she was nonetheless expectant: whatever it was, it could only be good for her career.

"Some insane shit going down in Japan." The man walking next to her, the editor-in-chief, said. "But that's pretty much all we know. I got the entire team working on this, but we have to break the news now, if we don't want to get preempted."

The newsroom around the pair bustled with activity: shouts echoed through the halls, king sized coffee cups were passed around at blazing speed, and journalists weaved through the labyrinth of desks and tables with surprising dexterity, some of them near-missing the pair more than a couple of times.

Finally, they reached the news set, which was no less busy, stagehands and cameramen doing their final preparations. As soon as the woman sat down at the desk, though, everyone that wasn't behind the cameras scrambled away.

"30 seconds, Michelle." The floor manager announced. Michelle acknowledged with a thumbs up, and turned to the editor, catching him just as he made haste to the back of the set.

"Just one more thing: Why am I here instead of Miss Bigshot?" She asked, waving her hands in the air as she said the last words.

"Because she tried to kiss my ass into getting the 11 o'clock slot. Guess how that worked out for her." He replied, smiling, just as he reached the safe zone.

Michelle returned the smile, and as the count of ten started and the breaking news intro played in the plasma screens around her, she took a moment to close her eyes and focus.

Breaking news.

Moments of exceptional importance for the world, some of them shaping its history. And for good or bad, those moments made any anchorman's career.

Whatever it would be, she would go down in history as the face of this story.

How, it remained to be seen.

Half the studio had stopped working, and either watched from their desks or from the back of the set. She knew it even with her eyes closed: she could feel their gazes piercing through her.

This was her moment.

Michelle opened her eyes at the count of five, and looked decisively towards camera three. The last four seconds were counted silently, and the teleprompter started rolling.

"Hello, I'm Michelle Westbrook from our studios in New York with breaking news from Japan. An unknown event is occurring in center of Japan's main island of Honshu, where a black mass of unknown properties is covering a large section of land. As seen in the satellite images we are now showing, the event is centered around the city of Mitakihara and is expanding outwards at an alarming speed."

She paused to breathe, and quickly scanned the small screen in her desk. She almost wished she hadn't, as what was supposed to be a fleeting look turned into a lingering glare. The image was surreal, like something out of a nightmare or a horror movie: a vortex of swirling darkness, smack dab in the middle of Japan. It looked almost cartoon-ish, but it was surrounded by the contours of very real mountains and valleys.

"The city was hit by a supercell at around seven AM this morning, which was predicted to cause severe damage. Although the storm appears to have dissipated, it may have been the cause of this event. However, our weather forecast team was unable to identify this phenomenon, as it does not resemble anything in recorded history. Information is scarce at this moment, but we will continue to update this story through later editions. Stay with us"

As soon as the outro started playing, she exhaled heavily. It had been the tensest minute of her entire life, but she made it. She pumped her fist, but it was a contained celebration, for obvious reasons. In any other occasion, she would have received applause from her colleagues, but it was clear there was some apprehension in the air, even in a studio full of people experienced with the best and worst the world had to give. It was an awkward and unknown situation, and no one tried to hide it.

"Congrats, Michelle." The editor said, as he approached her. He was a tad cheerier than most, but not as much as he would normally be, Michelle noticed. "Hope you didn't have any plans for the next few days, because I'm gonna put you in the forefront. Whatever this is, it's yours."

"Yeah, thanks." She replied. Even she couldn't help but to have her own enthusiasm curtailed by the events. "Just wish I knew what the fuck I'm presenting."

"Yeah, well, mystery is good for business. But yeah… get ready. It's going to be a long night."

* * *

**A/N: It's been six months since I've first had the idea for this. It's nice to finally see it come to fruition.**

**Unfortunately, with my impending graduation, I have very little time for writing. I am dedicated to this, but expect a chapter a month at best. I understand that may be disappointed, but trust me, it's even more from me. But such is life. Hang in there for me :)**

**Just want to leave a small note on why I insist on calling them Puellae despite the official dub calling her magical girls. It's quite simple. Tell me, just what is a magical girl? It's... a magical... girl... and that's it. A completely bland and meaningless label, and an almost stupidly unfair way to refer to them. Especialy so in the world of Madoka, as these aren't your typical stock characters of the genre, these are warriors that give their body and soul to the fight: they need a name that does them justice. At least that's what I believe. If there's Precures, if there's Sailors, then I'll be fucked if there aren't Puellae.**

**Big thanks to Danny Barefoot for giving me inspiration for the story format with A History of Magic, and, of course, to bonesxbreak, not only for the beta, but for all the advice and help with the story itself.**

**And... god did I miss saying this... hope you enjoyed! :)**


	2. Day 9, Part 1

**Terminal 2, Narita International Airport**

**Narita, Japan**

**May 2****nd**** - 10:27 AM**

The girl struggled against her seat, trying to find a comfortable position, but it was to no avail. But maybe that was just fine, she thought; it wasn't as if she deserved peace. No rest for the wicked, as they say.

The fasten seat belt light came on, and she obeyed mechanically, not giving the slightest regard for the flight attendant's patronizing safety announcement. Looking around, she saw a sea of faces much like hers. She knew she wasn't alone. She could _feel_ the grief inside the airliner, as the passengers silently mourned their lost ones, terrified both by what they'd seen and by the unknown that lied ahead, and only marginally relieved they wouldn't be the next ones on the chopping block.

Some dealt with it better. Others, not so much: though most only displayed a deep frown, some weren't as stoic, and couldn't hold back the occasional tear. The girl was one of those that handled it best – at least on the outside - but that wasn't saying much. Not when she despised herself for what she was doing that very moment. Not when the thought of what she faced, but most importantly, what she lost, sent shivers up her spine.

"_Good morning, this is your captain speaking. My name is Jack Bartlett and I'd like to welcome you to British Airways Flight 6, heading to London Heathrow."_

The captain's speech managed to draw her away from those dark thoughts, even if only momentarily.

"_Now, here I'd tell you about the flight's length and destination… but we all know this isn't just another flight. I've just been told by the tower that this is the last flight cleared for takeoff before they shut down the airport. I've been flying this route for the past twenty years, and I got to know Japan and its wonderful people through it. It's hard to believe something like this is happening, and, needless to say, terribly saddening. For now we fly to safety, but filled with hope we may one day return to this land. I wish you have a peaceful flight and thank you for your attention."_

The captain's worry was sincere, which surprised the girl somewhat, given the few other Britons on board were more than happy to get out of dodge. She didn't dwell on it long, though, and the scenery outside distracted her again. She wiped her glasses once more to make sure her eyes weren't illuding her, because it all still felt like one long nightmare.

The sun had set as soon as it had risen in the land of the rising sun, that morning. Kantō had awakened under the shadow of the monstrous witch, blocking out the sun, filling the clear horizon to the west with nothing but pure darkness which slowly but surely surged towards Tokyo Bay. Without any mountains to block it, it was an even more fearsome sight.

She forced herself to look away from the witch. On the tarmac, the activity was immense. Airliners crisscrossed beside hers, dashing to the runways. Even under such duress, there were no major problems: as it was one of the busiest airports in the world, the movement itself was just slightly more intense than a regular day. She also noticed a large row of empty hangars across the terminal, and guessed their flight wasn't just the last one to be cleared for takeoff, but also the last airworthy plane in the airport. There was no shortage of passengers willing to pay anything to get the hell out, after all.

Despite the rush, the takeoff was uneventful, even if its hastiness broke an entire page of the protocol. As soon as their gear retracted, the tower's lights went off. She tried not to think about what was going to happen down there.

Again her eyes diverted to the monstrous witch. She couldn't help it. No matter how far high they climbed, it continued to dominate the horizon.

And she didn't even try to tell herself otherwise. It was all her fault.

Yukio Minamoto. A strong, intelligent and experienced Puellae, and unlike most with such qualities, kind. She had a good family, distant descendants of the Imperial family. She had true friends, and comrades who fought beside her. And though she knew loss, though she knew it too damn well, she endured it and never let herself drown in it.

She had everything a Puellae could ever wish for.

And yet, one moment was all it took. Just one single moment of weakness was enough to rob her strength, her honor, her whole world. And she paid the ultimate price.

The rash and headstrong Mai.

The calm and always good-natured Hanabi.

And Hotogi, with her unbreakable spirit and pure smile.

All of them dead, in the blink of an eye, because she failed them. And in the end, to further her shame, it was her that ended up being saved, by her youngest apprentice no less. The very fact that she was alive was painful. She'd known loss and pain before, but she always carried on. No matter what, no matter who, she had _always_ carried on the fight.

But this time, she truly felt like she wouldn't be able to cope with her grief. Every second passed, every breath taken, every painful memory relived was unbearable. The weight in her conscience threatened to crush her.

She discreetly checked her soul gem when she became aware of the dark emotions that ran through her. Still mostly clear. And that made her feel even more despicable. Her soul gem should have burned. _She_ should have burned.

But in the end, cruelly enough, she didn't. Hotogi willingly gave her life so that she'd live on, not only because of their friendship, but because she had unshakable faith that Yukio could save the world from the beast. And that was the only thing that mattered to her, then. She didn't think she was capable, but as long as she lived, she would give everything she had for it. And she would succeed.

Somehow.

Anyhow.

But that meant that no matter how despicable her existence was, she could not allow herself to die until then. Even if it meant making the most difficult, most painful decision she ever took: to flee Japan, and to desert Yokohama. Truthfully, whether she went back or not, without a plan, without organization, and in the midst of the chaos, annihilation was assured. And anticipating the worst scenario, she had left orders to evacuate as many as possible should her party not return. But all the same, she knew well that without her there, there would be no one to rally her area's Puellae, let alone the entire city's.

In order to fight on, in order to fulfill her friend's dying wish, she had to abandon her loved ones. To leave her friends, her family, her comrades and apprentices, and the entire area under her aegis, eastern Yokohama, to their fate – or to be realistic, their deaths.

No matter how noble the purpose, doing so made her feel like the scum of the earth. But she couldn't falter in her resolve. Not again. It was only thing she had left to live for. And so she forced herself not to dare looking back as she caught the last international flight out of Narita carrying only a credit card, a handful of grief seeds, and a burden too heavy for one single soul to shoulder.

A single tear ran down her right cheek, and her glasses fogged up. For the first time in years, she felt a dying need to cry her heart out, for herself, for the world, for everything. But before she could, a sobbing sound, not her own, caught her attention. She sat between two other young women: at the window sat a girl with short, black hair, sharp features, wearing tarnished clothes and holding nothing but anger and hatred for the world burning in her eyes; on the other side, a middle schooler with luxurious green hairwho appeared to be on the verge of bursting into tears since they boarded, and who'd apparently finally relented.

Seeing this, and with inhuman effort, Yukio held back her tears. She didn't know why she did so, she felt as bad if not worse than her inside. But something compelled her to reach out and help the girl, more than her own kindness. Perhaps because it was the only thing she could do to atone herself, then.

"Hey-"

The moment she uttered a sound, much to her surprise, the girl threw herself onto her, gripping Yukio's arm with both hands and burying her face on her shoulder, breaking into unrestrained cry.

"Hitomi…"

Tomohisa Kaname sat across the aisle, with Tatsuya next to him. He moved to sit up, but Yukio waved lightly at him, signaling it was okay. Slowly, she wrapped her arms around Hitomi's back, which she gladly accepted.

"Let it out. No use holding it inside." She said softly, despite knowing she was being a hypocrite.

"I don't…" Hitomi sobbed, her voice muffled by her tears and Yukio's leather jacket. "I don't know what I'm gonna do! I couldn't do anything! My parents are dead! My friends are dead! Kamijou… Kamijou is…"

Her voice faltered, vanishing into indiscernible sobs. She continued to cry heavily for quite a while before she calmed down somewhat, likely because she simply ran out tears, but without ever letting go of Yukio's arm, who continued to hold her as well. By then, the plane had flown far away enough for the sun to be visible again, bringing a small moment of relief to the passengers.

"Hitomi, is that right?"

For the first time, a face appeared from under the mass of green hair. She wiped it, but her red and puffy eyes did not lie.

"Y-yes…"

"Look, Hitomi" Yukio struggled to find the right words. It didn't help that her voice was filled with sadness, much like Hitomi's. "Yesterday was the worst day of my life. I lost… a lot of people I loved. And today, I'm going to lose more. I… I almost died yesterday, and even now I'm still thinking I might as well have, rather than live to see all this…"

Her right hand snapped to a fist, but she opened it just as fast: she didn't want Hitomi to sense it.

"But…" Yukio breathed in deep. "We're both still here, aren't we?"

"…Huh?"

"We lost so much. We hurt so much. But we're still alive. We're still here."

Yukio only thought about what she said after she paused. Was she really saying that?

"But… my family… my friends…"

"They wouldn't have wanted you to die there. I know it's unbearable and it makes you want to rip your heart out. Trust me, I know just how it feels." She replied, letting go of Hitomi's back and bringing her right fist above her heart. "But that's exactly why we have to be strong enough to carry on. So that their deaths aren't in vain."

"And… that thing…"

"I know. It's bad, too damn bad to be true. It'd be reasonable to think we're doomed. So… have faith. Reason alone isn't enough, this time. So please, have faith. As long as we're alive, it's not over. You just have to believe in that."

Yukio closed her eyes for a moment. The conversation was taking a toll on her. It was one thing to think about what had happened, but talking about it meant permanently acknowledging it. And while that could only be good for her in the long run, it certainly struck her at the time.

"Do you have somewhere to go?"

"Y-yes." Hitomi replied, somewhat calmer. She was still holding on to Yukio, but she had eased her grip. "I have distant relatives in Paris, we'll be staying with them…"

Yukio smiled lightly. "Then keep them in your heart. You still have people that care for you, and those you lost would want nothing but for you to live on. So don't give up hope. It's far too soon for that."

Hitomi pondered her words for a few more moments, and wiped her face again before finally letting go of Yukio, while looking at her with a faint smile, but a smile nonetheless.

"…I'll have faith, then. Thank you."

"No… thank _you_, Hitomi. Talking to you helped me as well."

"Big sis', look!"

Both girls turned around as Tatsuya's voice echoed through the cabin. He was holding a crude origami flower made from a safety instruction pamphlet, and was so eager to hand it over to Hitomi that he nearly fell off the seat. His father picked him up at the right moment and carefully placed the youngling in the aisle, in front of Hitomi.

"Dad taught me how to do it. When Mom or Madoka are sad, we make flowers for them and they get this biiiiiiig smile. So don't cry, Hitomi!"

Hitomi's shy smile widened, and so did Yukio's. The greenette gladly accepted the gift and patted Tatsuya's head, before the boy went trotting back to his seat. She closed her eyes and leaned back on her seat, holding the flower beneath her folded hands. Her expression was peaceful, in sharp contrast to just a few minutes before. Yukio couldn't help but to feel some satisfaction seeing it.

She slumped back on her seat as well, the exhaustion from the last 24 hours finally crashing down on her. After a few minutes, she felt her eyes closing, and didn't attempt to fight against it. She was too tired for it, and who knows when her regrets would crash back down on her again and rob her of her sleep.

As she slowly drifted off, she wondered about what she'd just said. It had given her some relief, to know she still had some faith she didn't think was there. Even if their fate still looked grim by all perspectives, even she just couldn't see a way out, not just yet.

But she wanted to. She really wanted to.

* * *

**CNN studios, Time Warner Center**

**New York City, U.S.A.**

**01:01 (local)**

Journalists, by trade, always had a way to hype every event. The voice tone, the highlighted keywords, the dramatic pauses, everything was engineered to focus the viewer's attention.

This time, however, Michelle wasn't even trying. She didn't even have to.

"Again, for those joining us now, we are showing live footage from Tokyo, under dire threat from the still unknown event."

The image was unsteady, as were the hands that held the camera. But it was more than clear enough, showing the frightening wave advancing under a dark sky. The amateur cameraman spoke in Japanese, but translation was unnecessary: the language of fear and terror is a universal one.

"The stormfront is now mere kilometers away from the outskirts of the city, and is expected to hit it in the next hour."

As she spoke, the footage was suitably replaced by that of police and JSDF units trying – and failing - to control stampeding crowds within the city. It was a profoundly unfitting sight, considering a good part of the crowds were common, typically disciplined salarymen, but which only highlighted the desperate situation the city lived.

"Japan is a nation in shock today, with an estimated three million people under areas affected and the startling news of the Prime Minister's suicide by _seppuku_. However, the worse may yet be to come, as the event shows no signs of stopping as it approaches the forty million strong urban area. And while the government, still shaken by the loss of its leader, maintains that it is committed to the protection of every citizen, an evacuation is all but impossible."

Michelle had felt the same when she first broke the news, but she mistook it for nervousness. But the feeling persisted, no matter how many times she glared at the dreadful images.

"The exact nature of this event remains unknown."

No, that couldn't be all.

"As reported previously, the phenomenon resembles no meteorological event ever seen before. A freak typhoon was pointed as a possibility, due to its likeness to one in satellite imagery, but it was quickly ruled out. Teams all over the world from multiple fields of science are analyzing data as it comes in, trying to decipher this mysterious occurrence, but none could provide a solid answer thus far."

She was an experienced journalist, reporting the worst the world had to give was par for the course. She should never be affected by images like that. And on the surface, she didn't appear to be. But as the screens switched to satellite, aerial, and other footage focusing on it, it became even clearer for her.

"According to the information gathered, a black, roughly circular, mountain-shaped mass of unknown composition forms its core. As of the last update, its peak has reached around six thousand meters and it's diameter around one hundred kilometers, encompassing much of Japan's main island, Honshu. There also appears to be some sort of feature at its peak. Additionally…"

That… that _thing_ had something more to it. Deep down, she was frightened by it. It wasn't in her character, let alone her trade to be scared of anything. But she was, and she had no possible or reasonable explanation for it. That abomination felt nothing short of pure, unadulterated evil.

"_Michelle? Are you okay?"_

Unknown to her, she had momentarily paused, her mind lost in the dark pictures, her eyes blinded by hours in the bright spotlights. It wasn't for long, but it was enough for it to be noticeable.

"...Additionally, its edges are covered with a continuous, thick, low-altitude cloud, the properties of which resemble a pyroclastic flow, threatening cities in its path to become the next Pompeii."

Michelle cleared her throat before continuing, and made a thumbs-up behind the desk to signal to the crew that she was fine.

_What the hell was that? Calm the fuck down, girl._

"The international community is naturally shocked over these developments." She continued, almost unfazed. "Multiple countries have pledged support for the nation in distress, but the uncertain and evolving nature of the situation has hampered any attempts to dispatch any effective aid. The United Nations in particular are focusing assets on this situation, and the Security Council has convened an emergency session for tonight. CNN has also learned from inside sources that there is a possibility the session will be attended by the leaders of the represented countries, in an almost unprecedented step, but which only highlights the severity of the current circumstance."

She turned her chair to the left, facing another desk across the set.

"To discuss the geopolitical ramifications of this event, our colleague Camilla Almeida has brought in our senior analyst, Daniel Pollini. Camilla?"

"Thank you, Michelle. We are joined here by…"

_Ugh…_

The instant the cameras gave her rest, she let herself slide down the chair almost to the point of falling off. She quickly grabbed a water bottle from the desk and took large, thirsty gulps from it, downing it in one go and letting some of the water stream down her burning face, which dried up almost instantly. As the editor-in-chief rushed out of the control room with a worried look in his face, she made a cutthroat gesture, requesting that the _goddamn fucking bright_ spotlights be shut down, a command which, fortunately for her, was quickly obeyed. She was already bad off as she was, she didn't need a migraine as well.

It was the chance of a lifetime for her. But not even half a day and she was already exhausted, both physically and mentally. _What a joke._

"Michelle, you've been in front of the cameras for too long. Go home, come back in the morning." The editor stated firmly, placing both arms on the desk in front of her.

"Nah, I'm fine. Just need to chill back until the interview ends." She replied, waving him off. Truth is, she'd never admit to that. Sure, few anchormen in the world would go through a twelve hour shift, let alone stay on the air indefinitely like she was planning, but it wasn't in her character to measure herself by the standard. No way no how.

"Don't lie to me, I'm not gonna put you on the air like that. You're probably thinking the standards don't apply to you" He said, as Michelle rolled her eyes when he nailed her thoughts. "but they do. At least go get some shut-eye backstage."

"I told you, I'm fine."

She sat upright and gave her blazer a quick sweep to emphasize. But without a live camera in front of her, she just couldn't look as serious as she wanted to.

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Look at me."

The pair exchanged a deep gaze for a instant, a moment that seemed to last far more for both than it actually did. For Michelle, it was a rare peaceful moment amidst the maelstrom the day had turned out to be, and she could only think the same went for the man in front of her.

"…Are you coming on to me?"

"Ah, shut up." He fired, pausing for a second while pondering his options. "Alright, so be it. I'm already getting flak from upstairs for not whoring enough views... not like we're leading worldwide cable ratings or anything. So in for a penny, in for a pound, I guess. Just don't collapse on me out there, okay?"

"Who do you take me for?" Michelle fired back, smugly. The editor simply shook his head sideways, putting up a convincing smile as he did so.

"Never change, Michelle."

He finally let go of the desk with a loud tap and stated to walk off, but-

"Hey, Rob…"

-Michelle called him back, in a somewhat melancholic tone that did not suit her at all, and, unusually, calling him by name. He turned around, more than slightly intrigued.

"This thing… this shit doesn't look good, does it?"

Robert simply sighed. "We're journalists. It shouldn't matter to us."

But Michelle's question had been sincere enough to deserve an honest answer.

"But no. No, it fucking doesn't."

* * *

**Upper West Side, Manhattan Island**

**New York City, U.S.A.**

**01:27 (local)**

Stuck to a TV screen in a hot, pleasant New York night watching the news. It was so far from being her cup of tea, but she couldn't avoid it. Not when the mother of all witches was live 24/7 – and reported by her own mother, no less. She tried to sleep, she tried to go out and patrol, she tried to do anything she could think of, but she always eventually found herself back in her gigantic white leather couch, watching that freak show.

She would even have grabbed some popcorn if she didn't feel it was in bad taste, even by her standards.

The familiar Skype ring from her laptop was a welcomed blessing, then.

"Hey, Victoria."

"Hallå_. Can't sleep?"_

"You're one to talk. It's like, what, 6 AM there?"

"_Admit nothing, deny everything."_

Alice giggled. She'd never admit it, but her spacious apartment, at night and by herself just felt too empty; and Victoria's soothing voice, specially with such a rare deadpan from her, did much to fill the void.

"_So, how are things over there?"_

The smile in Alice's face vanished instantly.

"Not good." She answered. "There hasn't been any major trouble so far, but I talked to some other girls in Manhattan and… there's been some girls missing in action."

"_Missing in action?"_

"Yeah… apparently, several Puellae went off the radar since news of that thing came out. Pouf, gone. Most of them greenhorns… I'm sure you know what that means."

A muffled sight was heard on the other side of the line.

"…_so, it's just as I thought. I'd hoped I was mistaken, but…"_

"You predicted this would happen?" Alice asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise.

"_I _felt_ it, Alice, and you probably did too. It's difficult to explain it, but the first time I saw it, I-"_

"-You felt an absolutely irrational fear of it, like you'd never felt before?"

"_Precisely."_ The Swede conceded. _"So it really was everyone…"_

"Yeah, when you called to warn me, you just didn't sound yourself." Alice said. "And me, well, I downed three Gatorades in ten minutes, if that says anything."

"_You have to wonder how irrational it is, though. We are Puella Magi. At the end of the day, witches are our natural enemy - even if they're… even if we're all heading that way, one day. And this witch is the mother of them all. So imagine what it'd be like for a rookie or a mentally fragile Puella to wake up one day and see something like that…"_

"I guess you're right. Must be difficult to get out of bed knowing there's a witch the side of a country out there, it's coming for you, and you can't do shit about it." Alice said. She picked up a pen from the table in front of her and started to spin it through her fingers.

"Oh, right, before I forget," Victoria continued. "your 'Bey is missing, isn't it?"

"Gobey? Yeah, I asked, he's been missing as well. Seems you were right, they really bailed out on us. Sneaky bastards."

Now it was Victoria who giggled.

"What's so funny, fjord girl?"

"Nothing, it's just that hearing you of all people calling anything _sneaky_ is amusing." The Swede swiftly replied. "So, how about you?"

"Uh?"

"_You told me how things were over there, but not how you're doing."_

"You care too much. You know I'm not one to go bonkers about stuff like this." Alice responded calmly. "What about you? You sound a bit down, even for a situation like this."

"_So you noticed it, uh? I'm just not good at hiding things, not from you at least." _It was now clear that Victoria was troubled, and – rather poorly – trying to hide it from Alice. _"I've been trying to get in contact with the others, but I still haven't heard back from a few. I'm not too concerned about most, they can all handle themselves, but one of them is in Tokyo… I've been calling her repeatedly and sending her messages to get out of there, but honestly, even if she _did _reply, I'm not sure she'd leave. She's one stubborn girl."_

"I see… there's a witch like that out there and still you worry about other Puellae. You're really one of a kind."

"_Just doing my job."_ Victoria replied, without the pride others would have in her position._ "Speaking of which, have you heard from Erika? I was about to call her after this."_

Alice laughed. "Funny you'd ask about her, she's on her way here right now. She said something like "if the end of the world is at hand, I will be by your side when it comes". Not sure if I should be glad or scared."

"_A bit of both, if I know her well." _Victoria said._ "But that is absolutely perfect; I was going to ask her to rendezvous with you, anyway."_

There was now a bit of excitement in Victoria's voice, and Alice was again quick to notice it. "You were? Why?"

"_Because I need you both. You two are perfect for what I'm about to ask of you."_

"…And what would that be?" Alice asked, intrigued.

"_I have a plan."_

"A plan for what?"

"_For the witch, for everything. You didn't think we were just going to sit here and watch the world burn, did you?"_

* * *

**Shinjuku Park Tower**

**Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan**

**15:53**

_I'm sorry, my friend. I know you pray for my safety, but please, don't worry about me. Should I fall, I entrust the world to you. I know it will be in good hands._

_- Kei_

She had long chosen her own fate, but hitting _Send_ would be setting it in stone. And that was never easy, not even for the most stoic of warriors, which she most definitely did not consider herself to be. And especially so when she had ten unanswered calls and about as many texts from the same worried comrade she was about to send the message to. But she couldn't afford to hesitate. She pressed the button, and upon confirmation of delivery, allowed her cellphone to slip from her silky hand and into the abyss. She wouldn't need it anymore.

_It's like this enemy came straight out of the demon legends… my child, just how much did you suffer?_

It'd be quite some time before it metthe earth below. Kei Nagase sat at the edge of the skyscraper's rooftop, a front row seat to the macabre spectacle that unfolded. She gave her short, raven hair a quick sweep, to pull her bangs out of her sight – for as apocalyptic as it was, it was really something worth watching. The witch had swept through the suburbs and neighboring cities unfazed, uncaring for neither man nor structure, and now, the long awaited doom was finally at central Tokyo's doorstep. From her vantage point, she could clearly hear the shouts of desperation and helplessness of the crowds from across the city, all of them converging in a single low-pitched echo, as if the land itself was crying for salvation. The sound buzzed in her ears, the sheer eeriness of it shaking her to the core.

A fresh pulse of darkness made her soul gem shine brightly. Another haunted soul had fallen to the darkness, two blocks away at most, Kei reckoned. She'd lost count of how many witches had been born from the despair brought by that day, they were simply everywhere. But even that was secondary, everything was. She'd be the first one on the scene otherwise; she'd have charged at those witches and most certainly won, but it'd require effort she was not allowed to spare. Not that day. Even if it meant being unable to help her comrades in distress below, the herculean task that lied ahead took priority.

Out of the blue, a friendly Puella landed right behind her, in one knee and gasping for breath. Her outfit and weapon faded into nothingness, and she pressed a grief seed against her badly corrupted soul gem. She looked absolutely miserable, her long red hair mangled, her movements stiff, her expression hard, as if she had just clawed her way back from Hell itself.

"Kei-"

"Catch your breath first, Emi." She simply said, without looking back. The other Puella was too impatient for that, however. Still panting, she moved in closer and released an impressive – and saddening – number of grief seeds next to her senior, as carefully as her badly shaking hands allowed. Kei gently collected them.

"It's a fucking mess down there." Emi affirmed, now with her breath under control. "We've got at least a quarter dead and about as many… missing. The rest of the city is the same, or so they tell me. Half of those are just from punching through to get here, I barely made it alive."

"I've known you for a long time, Emi. Don't fool yourself. You wouldn't be felled that easily." Kei replied. Emi was about to protest, but Kei wouldn't allow her. "Are we ready, nonetheless?"

"No. But we ain't getting any readier than this."

"Good. And are there any news from down the bay?"

"Nothing, not even a whisper. They probably didn't even make it out of there, Kei."

"Not even the Red Angel, uh…"

Slowly, Kei stood up, never taking her eyes away from the horizon. A strong gale had risen, as if the wind itself was running from the witch; her hood almost threatened to fly away from her jacket, and her short bangs were blown back, fully revealing her forehead. The fresh feeling it gave her was surprisingly pleasant, but given the circumstances, uncomfortable all the same. A flock of white doves followed the winds, flying right by the Puellae's flanks, heading to safety.

Emi knew the distant, focused look on Kei's eyes. She also knew what she'd been planning. And she knew it was useless to try to convince her otherwise. But still…

"Kei, I know I'm probably wasting my time, but please, don't do this."

…she had to try. She'd find no peace in eternal rest if she didn't even try.

A moment of silence followed, and, for the first time, Kei turned around and took a good look at the battle-worn Emi, with a light smile on her lips.

"Don't you trust me?"

"I'd follow you through the gates of Hell," Emi immediately said. "but this isn't the time. We need- No, _you_ need to fall back. I mean, for god's sake, Kei! You're the strongest Puellae in Shinjuku, probably in all of Tokyo, probably in all of Japan! We need you alive, you can't pull the samurai act and waste your life for nothing here!"

"For nothing, huh…"

"That's… that's not what I meant." Emi retreated, wrapping her left arm around herself. "I want to protect this city, but-"

"Then you really don't trust me."

"It's not that either, it's-"

"Me, isn't it?" Kei's smile widened.

She walked towards Emi, who stood immobile, frozen by a stronger heartbeat, and embraced her tightly before she could react.

"I'm a regional leader and somewhat famous Puella, and thus I would most likely be condemned to hate and isolation." Kei whispered. Her voice tone hadn't changed, but her soft and honest words almost made it seem so. "And I do not think I am worthy of the praise I receive because… I haven't done enough. Witches still live, Puellae still die, and humans still suffer under me. And yet… even as the world is tearing apart at the seams, I still have sisters in arms that worry about me. I do not deserve this. I do not deserve you, Emi, my dear friend. And so no one else could probably begin to imagine how glad I am to have you here with me."

If she wasn't being hugged, Emi would have probably fallen. To hear such words from her long-time comrade was striking to say the least.

"I know you do not doubt me – not any more than I doubt myself, at least. I know you just want me to be safe. But… I cannot do that. This is my battlefield." Kei continued. "And I know it is yours too… you simply cannot bear the thought of surrendering my life to it."

"Kei, I…" The other girl was on the verge of crying. Kei released her hold, but firmly placed both hands on Emi's shoulders, exchanging a meaningful gaze with her.

"If that is the case, then there is one thing you can do if you wish so much for me to see the sun again. Truth be told, I want nothing but the same for you, and I would ask you to run to safety, but… even if for a good purpose, to shoulder the burden without you would be selfish of me.

So I ask you: Emi Suzuki, will you follow me through the gates of Hell?"

Kei let go, but not for long. Emi threw herself in her arms, tucking her head above her senior's shoulder.

"…don't you fucking dare dying before me, 'kay?"

"I won't die, Emi. Not without you."

She softly pulled away from the embrace and walked to the center of the roof, next to the pile of grief seeds. She could already see entire blocks being torn apart effortlessly in the distance. It was her cue to enter the stage.

"Everyone, Kei Nagase here. The time is upon us. I hope you are still all with me, ready to embark on this journey." Rather than simply using telepathy, Kei spoke to the skies at the same time, echoing her true voice through her companion's minds. "Shinjuku, ready."

Within moments, the replies came showering in.

"_Shibuya ward here. We're with you, Nagase."_

"_Nakano here, you can count on us."_

"_Chidoya here. We got multiple witches tearing through Akihabara, but we'll do whatever we can."_

"_Chūō, ready to roll."_

"_Shinagawa ready. You should know I don't particularly like you, Nagase, but if the choices are running or dying, we'll follow you."_

"_Minato ready. Let's do this."_

The young woman waited a moment. She had hoped she'd have more allies than that, though she wasn't surprised there were so few wards with manpower left.

Still, worth a shot asking.

"Anyone else?"

After a few seconds, she got what she wanted.

_"My… my name is Shirayuki Satou…" _A young voice replied. Even through telepathy one could feel its sense the distress in the girl's voice. "I'm in_ Meguro, but I think… I think I'm alone here, I can't find anyone. God… Sorry, I was… engaged with a witch, and-"_

"Shirayuki, tell me, are there any witches close to you?"

"_Not right now, but I can feel some a couple of blocks away. I… I don't think I can handle them all by myself…"_

"Do not engage them." Kei replied. "Stay where you are and follow my instructions. We'll send backup your way whenever I can, okay?"

"_Alright. Good lord…"_

"Very well, then." Kei resumed. "I humbly thank you all for joining me in this and for putting your trust in me. So then, let us begin. Do as I have told you: raise your hands in the air and focus your magic, but do not shape it as you normally would; simply let mine flow through you. Be warned, though: to shape magic into form is a reflex as natural as breathing, and avoiding doing so is not easy and requires focus. But just as you believe in me, I'll have faith in you."

Kei transformed, donning a shrine maiden-like outfit that much contrasted with her previous casual clothing: a light blue hip-length kimono with black trim and a long skirt with the color pattern reversed. A hexagon-shaped soul gem shone bright above her right wrist, and a sheathed nodachi stood at the ready by her waist. She did not draw it, but rather simply extended her left arm out, facing the rampaging witch. Behind her, Emi transformed as well.

_Show time, Kei. I want to see it. I want to see that strength of yours just one more time. That strength that lights my heart, that strength that can save us all. Please._

"Get ready."

Kei focused her magic on her left hand, a light blue aura surrounding it.

"Izanagi."

The air ahead of her started to glitter, eventually forming a transparent, blue-hued hexagon, almost like a flawlessly cut diamond. Another quickly appeared, floating in mid-air beside the first. And another. And another. The hexagons rapidly multiplied, and soon enough gave shape to a mighty wall between Kei and her foe. Raising her hand vertically, the wall started to grow up and outward, forming a dome that completely covered Shinjuku, remotely powered by her.

Much to her relief, a small dome, much like hers but with a red tint, soon appeared at the edge of her ward. Her plan worked: her magic was resonating with her comrades, drawing their power to do what she alone couldn't: to place most of the metropolis under the shield. The multiple diamond domes, shaded in every imaginable color, illuminated the sky with rainbow light, fighting the perpetual darkness the land had been condemned to. The howls of terror in the streets below ceased, leaving a serene quietude as the civilians gazed at what they could only assume was divine providence.

"Wow." Emi exclaimed. She was just as stunned as them. She too had her hands in the air, though with Kei by her side her influx was little; her task there was a different one. Even if she had seen Kei's shield before, and she herself had replicated it with the same technique, seeing it in such a scale was nothing short of spectacular. "Amazing."

"Not yet."

Kei clenched her left hand for a split-second. Responding to her signal, her barrier fused with the neighboring ones, starting off a chain reaction that only stopped when a single, united dome rose above the entire capital, casting a holy white light upon it.

"Thank you, my comrades. The shield – _our _shield is complete."

Now it was the Puellae's turn to gaze in awe at their collective creation. That mysterious diamond dome, which the equally mysterious but respected leader of Shinjuku had led them to build, carried in it their will, their strength, their prayers. And so long as they were bathed in its light, they would give their all for it.

"'_this it, Kei?" _Someone finally asked. _"Goddamn, that's awesome."_

"_Holy… you know, I always thought you Shinjuku lot were arrogant bastards, but this sure shut me up."_

"_Hell yeah, we're in business!" _Another said.

"We certainly are, but it is far too early to celebrate." Kei warned. "The worst is yet to come, and it'll take all our heart to hold on."

"_Well, you won't have to wait long. Here it comes!"_

Kei's eyes quickly scanned the horizon, her whole body jolted by the alarmed shout. But the darkness was everywhere, she couldn't see where it'd impact first. "Where from? Everyone, focus and get ready!"

"_Nakano!" _The same girl replied, with palpable terror._ "It's just down the highway! Three hundred meters, two hundred, it's right on top of us!"_

"Brace for impact!" Kei shouted. _Come, beast!_

Before another second passed, her whole body was shaken by an invisible force, pushing her backward with crushing strength. She stood her ground, gritted her teeth and planted her feet hard in the concrete terrace, so hard it opened visible cracks. But despite her efforts, she felt herself being dragged back, the floor below her feet shattering and filling the air with millions of grey shards.

"Hang on!"

The mass of pure evil had finally clashed with the glittering diamond dome, forcing all its might upon it, and the warriors who powered it bore the brunt of the violent impact, their last hope threatening to collapse under such power.

But the shield did not cede.

Against all expectations - except perhaps Kei's -, it withstood the initial contact, holding back the monstrous witch thanks to their collective effort. Kei wouldn't cede either: she brought her free hand to the ground, scraping it on the rugged concrete, and finally coming to a halt not too far from the ledge. The force eased, but did not vanish: she still felt it persistently pressing again her body, like she was carrying the weight of the world in her shoulders.

And she was.

Her immediate reaction was to look behind her: to her relief, Emi had held on as well – though the two antennas that formerly stood behind her hadn't. "I'm okay!", she immediately said, raising a thumb. She was careful enough to hide the two-meter piece of scrap metal embedded deep in her back from her.

Kei's mind jumped to her next priority. "Nakano, report!"

No response.

"Nakano ward, can you hear me?"

Two meters. A distance so meager one can feel what lies there, but too far to reach out and touch it. It's what separated the realm of thought and feeling from the harsh reality of the physical world. It's what separated three terrified Nakano youths fighting for their lives from a growing void that threatened to swallow them all, held back by a thin layer of hope and magic.

It's what separated life from death.

"_We-we're here!" _A hesitant voice finally replied. _"The barrier held it, but… goddamn, that was too close for comfort…"_

"Fall back, in that case." Kei advised, slightly relieved. "If you don't have anyone covering your back, you're too far out. We need to stay within range of each other as much as possible. The barrier may be one, but we who power it certainly are not."

"_Alright, we're falling back then. God bless you, lady Nagase."_

"It's no time for thanking, the worst is yet to come."

And it was not far off. The dark mass's advance was unrelenting, and unable to smash through the city, it instead went up, climbing the dome, all while it encroached it from the sides, a wall of solid black slowly enveloping the entire city. They'd survived the fast and brutal impact, shaken but alive; whether they could endure the slow, torturing and painstaking pressure as the witch crept overhead was yet to be seen.

Holding back a painful grunt, and while Kei was distracted, Emi pulled the mangled remain of the antenna from her back, blood gushing down into the ground far below. Nothing she couldn't take, though. She then approached her companion.

"Kei, what are-"

Her speech was cut short as a sudden jolt ran up both their spines.

"Witches. They're here, Emi."

"On it!"

Before she could even hear Kei, Emi leapt off the edge of the terrace, diving head-first into the darkness that gathered below.

_Remember your promise._

Kei saw the horrid injury in Emi's back, but she didn't have the luxury of dwelling on it.

"Is everyone still with us?"

Affirmative replies poured in, but it was clear some, if not most of the warriors were exhausted already. Not only were her comrades worn out from fighting the fallen among them, but the current effort was one they couldn't hold for long. A few minutes passed with relative tranquility, with the witch making steady progress and enveloping the entire western side of the shield, which nonetheless refused to budge; but the crushing pressure exerted by the witch only increased with every conquered meter, and that foresaw nothing good.

"_Hey… lady Nagase…"_

Kei quickly recognized the voice as belonging to the solo youngling in the Meguro ward. She didn't hear her acknowledging the last question, and she sounded even weaker than before, worryingly so. "Yes, Shirayuki?"

"_There's no… there's really no backup to send, is there?"_

The older girl was momentarily taken aback by the sincere question. "We have no reserves, but when we're through this-"

"_I see… hey, can you do me just one favor?"_

"A favor?"

"_I'm… so weak I can't even communicate to everyone… so can you tell the others to get away from Meguro… fast?"_

Kei felt a jolt running up her spine. There was barely even time for her to think. "Western wards, watch out!"

"_and… good luck…"_

"Shirayuki! Shira-"

But it was too late for her. With a deafening sound, the easternmost section of the dome shattered, the shards of diamond raining upon the doomed ward as the darkness flooded in. The remainder of the dome quickly reorganized around the remaining territory ahead of the witch, sealing off Meguro and saving the rest of the city, but they'd have to face another blunt impact.

"_What THE FUCK just happened?" _A Puella in the Shinagawa ward nearly screamed.

"Meguro yielded, it's coming right for you!"

The witch crashed into the reformed wall, the impact sending Kei two meters back. She did her best to strengthen the dome with her power, but the clash was inevitable. It was weaker than the first, but still crushing, straining the Puellae to their limit. The sound of the clashing forces echoed through the skies, like that of a tsunami breaking against a cliff.

Again the shield withstood the impact, but the effort was starting to take a toll on her: she was finally forced to retrieve one of the grief seeds Emi had delivered her. And if that was the case, who knows what her weaker comrades were going through. She tried not to dwell on it.

"Is everyone okay? Respond!"

A few seconds passed before Kei heard anything other than distant mumblings, likely internal communications in the neighboring wards.

"_Yeah, we'll all still here, but dammit, we can't take another one like this! Nagase!"_

"Hold on, we just need to hold on." She replied, almost automatically.

"_WE CAN'T JUST HOLD ON!"_ The Shinagawa leader shouted, angrily. _"Not like this! Your shield is the only reason any of us are alive right now, but it's not gonna hold forever. _We're_ not gonna hold forever! That thing is too damn strong, and it's not going anywhere soon. It's just gonna stay up there, high and mighty, until it finds a crack in the dome and turns us into fucking dorayakis!"_

"Ayame Inoue, am I correct? Have faith in me, I beg of you."

"_Yeah, it's me. Do we have a choice, Nagase?" _She asked, resigned. _"We're not gonna back down, but fuck it,_ _I don't want to die just for a pretty pane of glass."_

"You won't." There was little Kei could do to qualm her comrades worries, at least with words. Thus, she focused on acts. "Chūō, Chidoya, give me your status. Has the witch descended on your side yet?"

"_Just came down in here. Lots o' black and no stars above us." A Puella from Chidoya replied. "We're all still here, but the witches in Akibahara are still keeping a couple of us pinned down."_

"_Not yet here in Chūō, but it'll be any second now. I can barely see the horizon to the east."_

"Very well." Kei acknowledged. "Inform me the moment it comes down. We need it to surround us."

""We need it to surround us"?" Ayame inquired. _"What do you mean by that? Do you really want to-"_

There was a sudden pause in her speech, which immediately alarmed Kei. It was eerie at best.

"…_Asuka, what's wrong? Asuka? ASUKA! Quick, go help her! ASUKAAA!"_

Whatever it was, the Puella was letting her screams slip by through telepathy. And she wasn't the only one, several other terrified shouts echoed through Kei's mind, one of them being nothing but a chilling, agonizing howl.

"What's happening? Ayame, tell me, just what is happening over there?"

No answer. For a few seconds, a ghastly silence settled upon the city, as if God had pressed a cosmic silence button, only broken by the distant echo of the clash of forces between the witch and the shield. The air felt almost unbreathable.

"What the fuck, Nagase…"

"Ayame, what-"

"_WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO, NAGASE?!"_ Ayame exploded in a mix of rage and repulse, unleashing a truly frightening shout. _"Asuka… a Puella here just burst into flames! She fucking burned to the ground in a pillar of fire! What did you do to us, YOU MONSTER?!"_

Kei felt like she'd been hit by a truck.

"Was she… a fire wielder?" She asked.

"_Uh… yeah, but what does that have to-"_

"This… is why I begged you to keep your focus." Kei said. Unconsciously, she lowered her head in mourning. "In order to resonate with my shield magic, you need to release yours in a pure, unshaped form. If you lose your focus… or are too weak to control it… it'll revert to the wielder's natural form in an uncontrollable fashion; in this case… fire."

Again, an uneasy silence gripped the air – and Kei's heart.

"_So… that means… if we falter for even a moment…"_

"_We're gonna fucking roast?" _Another Puella completed.

"_I summon daggers, does that mean I'm gonna end up like a hedgehog? _Yet another added.

"That is a possibility, I'm afraid. And that is why I ask you to-"

"_ASKING IS NOT ENOUGH!" _A fourth Puella shouted.

"_Yeah, this is just…"_

"_Impossible! We can't do this!"_

It wasn't just a Puella expressing her doubts anymore. The grueling effort, the sight of an ever fading sky and the mental stress it all brought was begging to crumble the Tokyo Puellae's minds.

They were losing hope. And she knew well what that meant for a Puella Magi.

"_Nagase, can you hear me? Chūō ward here, I opened an individual link because screw all that madness. "_

"Yes I can, go ahead."

The Puella on the other side seemed almost as relieved as Kei was. _"Our Puellae in the east are telling me it just came down, we're completely surrounded now. Whatever you're planning, now's the time."_

"Great, thank you."

"_Oh, and… I want you to know I'm sticking with you to the end. I don't know about the others, but I don't care if I die, I accepted that by staying. But goddamn it if I'm not going out in a blaze of glory. Make it happen."_

"I won't disappoint you." She promptly replied. Saying anything else to someone who just offered her life to her would have been unacceptable.

"_What… what are we going to do…"_

"_I want to hold on… but it hurts so much…"_

"_A…su…ka…"_

"_That was my last grief seed… I dunno… how much longer… I can…"_

"_I should have ran… my friend has a jeep, we wouldn't get stuck on highways…"_

"_Shut up, all of you cowards!" _The Chūō leader had had enough. _"Just keep on holding the shield!"_

"_FUCK IT, I _AM_ HOLDING! But… in the end… is it really going to matter?"_

"_Yeah, we're doomed!"_

"_We can't hold it! We can't escape!"_

Despair was settling in. There was no way back.

_It's time._

"So we'll break through!"

Again, the airwaves fell silent as Kei fired the line with vigor and confidence. But this time, to her pleasing, it was one of surprise and expectation, not terror.

"What's all the damn ruckus about?"

Right on cue, Emi landed beside Kei. She put on a cheeky smile and fired a cheesy line, but she was even more beat up than before, as hard as that was to believe for her senior. Any more cuts in her dress and she'd be violating more than a couple of decency laws. She promptly used one of the grief seeds she had just collected.

"Welcome to the ninth circle."

"Uh?"

That very moment, the entire city shook momentarily, a massive roar echoing from above, the sound of diamond and magic clashing with pure darkness. A commoner would have blamed a small earthquake; for a Puella, it was clear the diamond dome that had held back the witch thus far would not do so for much longer.

She was not fazed by the event, however. She simply smiled to Emi, turned around leaving her to ponder the enigmatic statement, and cleared her voice.

"My comrades. There is but one reason we are here today: we chose to hold our ground, to stand and fight. Even if it seemed nigh impossible. Even if it cost us our lives - or worse. And that is a fate I am fully ready to accept.

The diamond dome above us, derived from my power, fueled by us all… I had never attempted to create a shield of this magnitude. I was not even sure if it would be possible to make it resonate with so many people and in such a large area. It indeed was, but… in the end, you must understand it's little more than a haphazard, emergency measure. Even then, I had some hope it could hold the witch back. But our success was only limited. Not only did it bypass us, continuing on its deadly march, but holding under its grip, at this point, no longer seems possible. It will collapse."

The instant she paused, the shield trembled again, sending an even louder and frightening cry down to the surface. Buildings shook, manholes popped, windows shattered. Even after it eased, a permanent vibration remained. A single, large crack in the dome appeared right above Shinjuku, running along almost its entire length. Against the pitch-black background, it was as if the world itself was about to collapse.

Again, Kei was not disturbed by it, and turned back to Emi, who still stood on one knee behind her, unable to stand even after clearing her soul gem. The tower shook, but Kei stood rock-solid on her feet. The battle-worn Puella looked up, almost in disbelief. But only almost, because she could not truly believe her headstrong sister-in-arms would throw in the towel like that. Ever.

And Kei's smile to her soon confirmed she wouldn't.

"But we are not undone yet."

Kei gripped the air with her right hand, and closed her eyes, focusing. Her muscles quickly grew tense, sweat poured down her forehead, as if she was exerting an enormous force, yet her fist was not even closed. Suddenly, her body released a massive amount of magic, enough to form a blue aura surrounding her. Emi was almost frightened; she didn't even have to see the aura, she could _feel _the swirls of energy emanating from the Puella in front of her. But at the same time, she almost couldn't hide her excitement at such a sight.

Her soul gem darkened at alarming levels; she quickly brought a grief seed to it with her free hand, without ever breaking her focus.

And then she opened her eyes. On that very instant, yet another quake occurred, but it was unlike the previous. The shaking was slower, and the roar from above more intense and acute than previously, an incessant and rather uneasy grinding sound. And as Emi looked up, the cause became evident. And she couldn't help but smile.

"Only you, Kei."

The dome was not budging, but reshaping. The hexagonal pieces pressed against each other in an organized fashion, forcing those in between to slowly rise against the witch, grinding and tearing through it; however one section was pushed downward, right in the center. Kei swept another grief seed above her soul gem, again draining the corruption the painstaking effort was building on it. But her eyebrows did not even twitch, sheer determination filling her eyes, as if is she wanted to scare the away the witch.

Eventually, the raised sections formed spikes, arranged in bands that ran along the entire length of the dome, like mighty mountain ranges; a single one faced the city down, directly above Kei and the tower she stood atop of. Only then did she allow herself a momentary rest, ceasing her effort and falling on one knee, but quickly rising back to her feet. But no matter, the preparations were complete.

Silence remained, perhaps because there was simply little else to say. It was Kei that broke it again, after she regained composure.

"Defense is no longer an option."

With her right hand still trembling slightly, but stable enough to hold it, she drew her nodachi with a smooth movement, and slashed the air with the long sword once before bringing it to rest. _Still sharp._

"Thus our only option is to strike back. To go on the offense."

This time, even Emi was alarmed.

"Kei, are you-"

"Emi…"

Kei said no more, she did not need to. Her piercing gaze was more meaningful than a thousand words. _Trust me. Even if this is our last hoorah, trust me. I need to do this._

…_okay, Kei. I couldn't stop you anyway._

"_Go on the offense?" _Finally, voices rose against Kei. _"Are you insane?"_

"Perhaps I am. But right now, does that matter?"

"…"

"_But still-" _Another Puella was about to question her, but she was quickly interrupted.

"_Wait! Let's hear her out first." _It was the Chūō ward leader who intervened, to Kei's pleasing. _"So let's say we can go on the offense. How would we do it?"_

"My shield, _Izanagi_, lives off the energy of those who feed it – that's usually me. But it can also release that energy for offensive purposes."

"_And you want to fire at the witch with it, like a giant cannon? I suppose that's why you waited until were surrounded. Is that what those spikes are for?"_

"Not exactly. It will not fire on its own, but rather amplify an attack I'll fire at it, using its power._"_

"_The power that comes from us. Meaning that, as things are now, it'll likely deplete it – and us - completely."_

"That is correct."

"_And I assume our chances of actually killing the witch are slim to none?"_

"Likely, yes."

"_The other one was right. You are insane."_

"_Yeah, we can barely-"_

"_And I'm with you all the same." _The Chūō ward leader completed.

"…_what? But-"_

Yet another quake interrupted the desperate Puella. The shield may have been able to withstand reshaping, but that wasn't going to help it survive any longer.

"But what?!" This time, it was Emi who intervened. "Listen up, people! That thing _will_ fall! If we don't do it, we're all _dead!_ Done! _Finito! _So yeah, we may all be fucking insane, but at least we have a chance if we try! The chance may be slim, but so was the shield, and it sure beats certain death, which is what WILL happen if you just sit back watching as the sky falls on us all!"

"Emi…" Kei turned around to face her. For the one who wanted so desperately to run and save their lives, especially Kei's, to support a nigh-suicidal strike…

"So long as you don't forget your promise." She replied, smiling.

Kei returned the smile; saying "I won't" wouldn't be necessary. There had been no response to Emi's calling, likely because there simply wasn't one.

"I know-"

The shield shook again. The intervals were getting shorter and shorter, there was no time to waste. Kei spoke over the noise without reserve.

"I know it's cruel and unjust for me to ask this, after everything you've gone through just to stand beside me in trying to protect Tokyo, but I have to ask you to focus everything you have on the shield. Give it all your power, give it everything you have left, give it every trace of magic that may still linger in your soul."

As she said this, she focused her magic as well, but on her nodachi, which slowly brightened up, as if taken by a holy light. Emi, on the other hand, placed both her hands in the air and threw all power at the dome. There was no more need to act as bodyguard: the witches rampaging through the streets were the last thing to worry about at that moment.

"For this might well be the last chance we have. We may well die here, but it will not be in vain, so long as we can destroy or at least badly injure this evil that threatens our world."

But Kei did not stop there, and kept on infusing more magic into her blade to the point where she had to use a grief seed, the nodachi glowing brighter and brighter. Above, the dome-turned-weapon started to shine brighter as well, and the vibration temporarily stopped. Her comrades were answering her call.

"We chose to stand here and fight. To hold against the seemingly impossible, to defy the harsh destiny imposed on us, to fight for those we want to protect. And by that wish we stand here, united."

One grief seed wasn't enough, though. The raven-haired Puella kept on charging up her weapon to unthinkable levels, grief seed after grief seed, until her supply ran dry.

"And so, give me one shot. Just one shot. For everything you love. For everything you believe in. For your loved ones, for your hated ones, for your city and for your world. For everyone you lost, and for everyone you yet want to save. Give me your laughs, give me your tears, give me all your love, all your hate, all your passion! GIVE ME ONE SHOT!"

Emi had to steady her feet not to be blown back by the sheer power emanating from Kei's nodachi, the pillar of light shooting from the sword tripling its already considerable length; Kei herself was having trouble just holding it. That sword had much more power in it than the Puella herself ever had, and it almost seemed strong enough to cleave the planet in half. It shone like a second sun, only obscured by the equally bright dome above.

Everything was set.

"Ready?

"Let it shine, Kei."

With a shout she could not – and did not try to - hold back, Kei slashed the air with force, shooting a large wave of pure light vertically, straight towards the inward spike of the dome. She repeated the gesture again and again, the waves trailing each other perfectly, a pillar of light linking the city with its aegis, until there was nothing left in the nodachi – and in her.

The waves merged with the inward protrusion, and spread across the blinding bright dome, lightning arcing below it as if it could barely hold such power. There was not a single shadow left in Tokyo.

_Once, long ago, you asked me if you could see my ultimate finisher, and I told you I had none. You probably forgot that by now, but well, I lied, sorry. So, this one is for you… Emi._

"**IZANAMI!"**

For a moment, time stood still. The light and noise drowned all, a boundless blank that seemed to last an eternity.

Then, it happened. Thousands, if not millions of beams of the purest light violently erupted from the dome in every direction, meeting the witch that lied above, a spectacle of light stellar explosions would envy. The dome, exhausted of the power that maintained it, exploded in billions of shards, but it did not matter anymore. The last hope now lied on their final attack.

As the Puellae recovered their senses from the stunning blast, everyone's eyes were on the battle fought above. Hope versus despair, light versus darkness, life versus death.

"_Come on…"_

"_Please…"_

"_Die, son of a bitch!"_

"_Yeah, COME ON! DO IT!"_

The rays of hope kept on flying relentlessly, tearing and ripping through the mass of darkness, shredding it to ephemeral slivers. The sky was dotted in unspoiled black and white, not a single shade of grey. And though the darkness remained, there was no doubt it was losing terrain. There was a hope.

"_What… oh my… Chūō here! It broke through! IT BROKE THROUGH!"_

And indeed, those hopes materialized. Off to the east, a small patch of sky was visible. Even if small, even if still dark from the witch's core blocking the sun, even if it appeared where the witch was likely the weakest, but there it was.

"_Look, here too! Over Chidoya!"_

"_And here too! Woohoo!"_

More and more rips appeared in the black cover overhead, as its very fabric was falling apart. And that was not, in fact, far from the truth, as the dark mass disintegrated rapidly between the countless beams of light.

"_This is _**our** _city, you foul witch, and we're claiming it back!"_

And soon, they had done just that. The sky above Tokyo had been reclaimed, every trace of the mass that had enveloped the city annihilated. The Puellae rejoiced with what little strength they had left, as did the citizens in the streets, who had long been silent, watching the mysterious events unfold. Kei could only smile at her comrades' echoed thoughts. They were on the brink of death, to the point where it was clearly audible, and yet they were cheering. So naïve, so subject to swinging moods, so emotion driven, going from hope to despair and back again in a matter of minutes… but in the end, they were all Puellae Magi. Emotion is their lifeblood. And drained of their strength, that was really all they had left – all that kept them alive, really. She'd fallen to her knees, almost spent, but that was alright. She was just a spectator, now, just like Emi, who kneeled beside her, eyes locked in the spectacle above. The glow in her eyes was almost brighter than that of what she was witnessing.

Kei, however, was more cautious. They were back to square one, but that wasn't enough. The monumental witch had been pushed back to the west, where it had loomed just minutes before, having lost only its vanguard. The beams of light pounded at the witch, forcing it back, but to utterly smite it would be a task unbelievably more difficult than the one they'd just accomplished.

With the last remnant of power she reserved, she called the beams of light that now flew into the heavens and redirected them to the west, to join the fray again.

"_Go! All the way to Mitakihara!"_

"_Smash that fucker!"_

The concentrated fire now seemed more like one massive pillar of light. The results were immediate. The barrage was too much for the witch to withstand, and now it was its turn to budge visibly. The calamity that had threatened to swallow the city was being routed across the entire front, shredded to pieces by the holy lights. Soon, the scorched remains of the Meguro ward emerged from the darkness; within minutes, all of Tokyo's twenty-three wards had been freed.

Only then did dawn in the hearts and minds of everyone watching that victory was possible. That they could do it. That the enemy could be vanquished. From that moment, there were no more cheers. Just silent hope. Hope for the seemingly impossible. Hope that the beams of light, holy arrows from the angels, lightning bolts from Zeus, rays of hope from the Puellae would not yield until the evil that befouled the Earth was purged.

Minutes passed, but not a single soul checked how many. It didn't matter. Only the battle that moved towards the horizon did. The streets were less crowded, as the civilians ascended to Tokyo's skyline to observe. Even the witches plaguing the streets seemed to settle down, almost as if calling a temporary truce. One of the doves that had earlier flown past Kei had even returned, landing next to her atop the tower; it was a peculiar one she remembered from its unusual blue-toned feathers. And it too seemed to be observing the battle, watching as Tokyo's suburbs, or what little remained of them after the witch's passage, began to emerge.

But that was as far as they went.

"_Oh, no…"_

As suddenly as it had been fired, the light faded. Their energy exhausted from the unending attrition, the beams of light were unable to complete their daunting task, and vanished just as victory seemed a real prospect. And, once more, there was nothing but darkness on the horizon.

"_No, no, no, no, no, NO!"_

It took some time for both Puella and civilians to realize the final gambit had failed. What followed could simply be described as panic. With their last hope crushed, cries of agony from the former and of desperation from the latter again conquered the skies. Kei simply tried to ignore them. She could do nothing about it, and that was what made them the most painful thing she ever had to endure, much more than the herculean battle that she had just endured.

Fortunately, she wouldn't have to endure it for long. Both the darkness in her soul gem and in the horizon guaranteed that.

She fell on her back, almost motionless, unable to do anything but gaze at the sky. Her strength was long gone, and their last hope was gone. Still, she made an effort not to cede for the corruption that threatened to overwhelm her. She wanted to see her mission through to the end, whatever the outcome.

"Hey Emi, still there?" She asked, without diverting her gaze. Moving her neck seemed almost impossible.

"Y-Yeah." A weak voice besides her said. "Just because I made you promise that doesn't mean I'm gonna make it easy for you."

Kei laughed loudly, even if each breath was excruciatingly painful already. There was no need for her to keep her strong composure anymore.

"How much time do you reckon you have?"

"About an hour, I'd say." Kei replied. She paused for a second, as a particularly painful pulse ran up her spine, likely not unrelated to the several newborn witches she sensed. "We knocked it a ways back."

"Yeah, that was quite the hit, _wasn't it?_" Emi fired back, the last two words loaded with irony."

"Haha, yeah… sorry about that. It's not likely I ever planned to actually use it, you know."

"Don't worry, you'll pay me back sometime." Emi said, half-seriously. The two girls fell silent for some time, considering the implications of "sometime". Only by saying it aloud did Emi fully realize she was going to perish lying on top of that two hundred meter tall pile of steel and concrete. _Could be worse_, she thought to herself, fully accepting her fate.

"Hardly. Doubt I'm going to heaven, after this." Kei finally replied.

"Then I'll stalk you down to Hell if I have to."

The two shared a laugh. They did not realize it in their situation, but they were effectively keeping each other alive, as feeble as that life was.

They continued their small talk for a while, only breaking it when the witch reached Tokyo's gates again. I'd taken a while, around one hour, as Kei had predicted. It was an agonizing wait for the rest of the city, the witch appearing almost like a wolf circling its pray, delaying its death by mere moments, savoring the meal to come.

The city had fallen quiet again, perhaps finally accepting its own demise. The overwhelming majority of the Puellae certainly had, descending into darkness and joining the ranks of their fallen comrades. They feasted freely on the terrified populace, though they wouldn't do it for long.

"_Hey, Nagase… can you hear me?"_

Some, however, endured. Kei and Emi weren't alone.

"Yes… the Chūō leader… sorry I defrauded your expectations…"

"_Defrauded? 'you kidding me? I'd say a goddamn supernova is good enough for "going out in a blaze of glory and then some!"_

"Glad I fulfilled your wish, in that case."

"_You're welcome. And the name's Kaori, by the way. Feels weird to hear anyone other than my rookies calling me a leader."_

"Very well, Kaori. It was an honor to have fought by your side."

"_And it's an honor to die by yours. Peace out."_

"I swear you're just trying to make me jealous, Kei…"

"Not my fault that-"

Kei was interrupted by a loud wing flapping. She'd forgotten about it, but all that time, the blue dove had peacefully remained nested between their heads. Only then, moments away from the impending demise, did it fly to safety.

"Well, there it goes. Guess it hasn't given up yet." Emi said, as she watched the bird take off.

"Fortunately, it's not the only one."

"What do you mean? If you have some fight left in you and are just slacking there-"

"No, not me... humanity."

Emi sighed. "Even at a time like this you have to try and be deep."

The tower started to shake, signaling the witch was critically close to them. Upon feeling that, and with great difficulty, Kei pushed her body sideways, literally rolling right over Emi and stopping on the other side.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Just making sure I fulfill my promise. The witch is coming from that side you know." She said, pointing to where she used to be.

Emi couldn't contain herself, and burst in laughter, leaving tears in her eyes.

"God that's funny. But you know, I wouldn't have had to force you to make that promise if you had run away. You're so goddamn stubborn."

Kei didn't answer, but made an effort to face her friend, who reciprocated.

"But that's why I love you, you know?"

The two girls simply smiled to each other as the boundless darkness swept them away.

* * *

**A/N: I guess it'd be important to point out that the modern city of Tokyo is composed of 23 "special wards", contiguous parts of the metropolis but each governed as a city in itself – such as the ones mentioned above.**

**All times both in this chapter and the rest are local, but I threw it in there to avoid any sort of confusion. Japan and the East coast of the US are 14 hours apart; it'd have been tough to juggle otherwise. All things considered, it's best if you allow me some leniency with time zones in unrelated events, and don't raise much fuss if I put an event that technically happened earlier after another. That wasn't the case here, obviously.**

**And… well, can't ignore the elephant in the room, can I? I wished to have this uploaded much, much earlier, but life decided to throw me a whammy. The final stretch before graduation was just insane, the chapter turned out to me much, much longer and ambitious than I planned (and it's just part 1), and life issues (and not only mine) interfered. I apologize for the delay, but I won't again commit to a deadline. At this point in my life, that is just not possible.**

**Oh, and here's a fun trivia: Osama bin Laden was killed in the day this chapter is set, 2/5/11 (that's D/M/Y, my American friends). Gretchen really is a hell of a killjoy.**

**Bonus points to whoever can point out every single Ace Combat reference in there. I couldn't.**

**Thanks to my friend PositronCannon for the beta, and as always, hope you enjoyed.**

**P.S: Oh, and please check my profile for a little extra, which will become a recurring feature of this story.**


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